Liquid applicator for yarn



June 16, 1953 H. J. MCDERMOTT LIQUID APPLICATOR FOR YARN Filed March 30, 1950 INVENTOR.

HENRY d. AICDEIPMOTT A rronu y.

Patented. June 16, 1953 I 7 2,642,035 LIQUID APPLICATOR FOR YARN Henry J. McDcrmott,Collingdale, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington. DeL, a corporation of Delaware Application March 30, 1950, Serial No. 152,849

strand, and returned or reclaimed therefrom without substantial frictional contact of the strand with the device- It is also an object to provide an apparatus which totally surrounds a running strand with a body of liquid to obtain positive and uniform treatment thereof. It is another object to provide a liquid applicator of which the construction may be readily varied to obtain any desired. depth of the liquid carried into contact with the strand by the applicator. Still another object is to provide such an applicator in the form of a simple, inexpensive unit which may be readily removed or installed in a desired position for applying a liquid to a strand. Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the invention and the drawing relating thereto in which Fig. 1 is an elevation view in section of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 illustrating a lacing procedure;

Fig. 3 is a plan view'of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevation in section of a modifiedv apparatus;

Fig. 5 is an elevation clined;

Fig. 6 is an elevation in section illustrating an-,

other embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is an elevation in section of modified apparatus for applying liquid to a strand.

Briefly, the invention comprises a devicev for applying a liquid to a strand having a vertical or steeply inclined passageway extending through: it which is constricted intermediately of its ends way. An open top conduit is positioned to receive liquid overflowing from the upper portion oi-th'e in section of apparatus which may be used when the strand path'i's in- 2 Claims. (Cl; 118405) passageway and the liquid passing through the aperture to the lower portion.

Fig. 1 illustrates a liquid applicator according to the invention positioned along the path of a running strand 6 as it passes between two rotatable members 8 and 9 which are merely illustrative and may represent thread advancing rolls, godets, nip rolls, or simple stationary guides. The applicator I0 is generally annular in shape as illustrated in the plan view of Fig. 3. It has an upper recess I2 and a lower recess l4 extending inwardly toward each other from the ends of the body of the applicator. The recesses are connected by an aperture l5 through which a strand 6 passes without any substantial contact with the applicator. The aperture may be of any size providing ample clearance for the strand 5 but preferably has a diameter of sufficient size, e. g. /8 of an inch, 50 that a lacing hook may be inserted therethrough. A nipple ll extends through the wall of the device into the upper recess. A liquid supply tube [9 is secured to the portion of the nipple [1 extending away from the body of the device and is used to supply a liquid to the applicator to effect a desired treatment, of the strand 6. If desired, the nipple I1 and the tube l9 may be used, as shown, to support the applicator. An edge 22 comprising an end-surface of the body is formed by the junction of the outer surface of the body and the surface of the lower recess Hi and slopes downwardly at a substantial angle with the horizontal for conducting liquid onto the body extension or lip 2!. The sloping edge 22 collects liquid which overflows the recess 12 and. passes down the outer surface of the body of the applicator'as well as other liquid which passes through the aperture l5 and drains downwardly along the surface defining the recess M. A col-' lecting trough 24 is positioned below the extension 2| to receive the liquid which drops there from.

Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which the apparatus of Fig. 1 may be laced. Assuming the reels 8 and 9 to be rotating, the strand 6a may be pulled from the surface of the reel 3 by a hook 25 into a position or path such as illustrated from which it may be reached and seized by another hook 26 passed downwardly through the aperture 1 5. The hook 25 should then be disengaged from the strand which is then quickly pulled up through the applicator with the hook 26 and into contact with the reel 9. For this reason, the lower recess M of the applicator is joined with the aperture IS in a smoothly curved surface such as suggested in the construction of an hour-glass so that the hook used for lacing the apparatus may be than the liquid circulated through the applicator so that when the strand is running, the ball is easily deflected by the strand; normally the ball, though not buoyant in the liquid, will be carried by the current to the upper surface of the liquid adjacent its outlet tube 64. When the strand is not running or no strand is passing through the applicator, the ball assumes a position over the aperture 53 and prevents the draining of liquid therefrom. Such a ball may be readily used in the other applicators herein decation of liquid between the annular regions .within the collector separated by the body section rim. Collector 32 has a tubular extension 33 for cha n neling liquid into a tube 35- securedthereto -so that the liquid may be led away from the liquidtreating region Without being discharged over other apparatus or coming into contact with the running strand at less advanced positions along its path. Liquid is introduced into the upper enlarged section 36 of the passageway through a duct 3'! connected with a tubular extension 33 of the body section. The assembled applicator of Fig. 2 may be supported as shown by a member Gt in threaded relationship with the body section 36.

Fig. illustrates the use of the invention in one of its simplest embodiments which may be used when a thread 42 is passed along an inclined path. The applicator of Fig. 5 comprises a simple annulus a of entirely symmetrical proportions which is drilled and threaded to receive a threaded end of a support member and a nipple M for connecting the upper portion 49 of the hour-glass shaped passageway 5i to a supply tube 48. Liquid readily drains from the body section. along the inclined lower rim 53 and th exterior surface 54 into a receiver 55. The surface 54 conducts the overflow from the upper enlarged portion of the passageway and comprises, in general, a portion of the outer surface of the annular body 34 which is lowest because of the inclination of the body. The rim 53 defines the junction of the surface of the lower portion of the hour-glass shaped passageway with the outer surface of the annulus including the surface 54. This surface is preferably free of any projections such as the support member 45 or the nipple 4? which might interiere with the passage of the liquid into the receiver 5%. Members attached to the annulus 24 preferably extend from some portion of its outer surface over which the liquid does not flow, such as an exterior surface portion which is opposite to that of 5d and higher with respect thereto.

Fig. 6 illustrates an applicator iii? of modified design within the scope of the present invention. This applicator comprises an elongated upper section which may be constructed to any length to obtain any depth desired in the body of the liquid contained in the upper recess or chamber 62 as defined by th distance between the aperture E3 and a liquid outlet tube 64. Since in applicators of elongated upper section of this type, appreciable liquid head will be produced at the aperture 63, considerable loss of liquid is likely to occur during periods such as when liquid is being circulated through the applicator prior to lacing the strand therethrough. The chamber 62 receives liquid through feed tube 55.

To prevent excessive loss of the liquid and the contamination which might occur by liquid running from the applicator down a stationary strand into other strand treating equipment, a small .ball 66 of larger diameter than the aperture 53 is provided in the upper recess 62 of the applicator. This ball is preferably of a density slightly greater scribed.

Fig. 7 illustrates still another embodiment of the invention comprising a tube ll: through which the running strand 6 may be passed. An aperture l2 permits the introduction of a liquid into the tube through a clamp-on fitting it having a passageway l! contiguous with the aperture 72 and the bore of an L fitting it. which connects the fitting l6 and a supply tube F9. The bore of the fitting ?6 through which the tube '50 extends has a diameter sufficiently larger than that of the tube to accommodate a sleeve 89 of resilient material such as a soft or rubber-like vulcanizate. The sleeve 89 is provided with an aperture in alignment with the aperture l2 oft-he tube it and the passageway l! of the fitting. A satisfactory seal is obtained between the fitting and the tube by tightening a screw 82 in threaded re lationship with the fitting against the sleeve 85.

ihe end-portions l3 and 'M of the tube are constricted to control the discharge of fluid from the tube. As shown, the strand passes in an upward direction through the tube. With proper control of the pressure in the liquid being supplied to the tube 73, the drag of the strand on the liquid will overcome any tendency of the liquid to pass from the tube through the constricted portion F3. The constriction of the tube at i l effects substantial stripping of liquid from the strand as it leaves the tube, otherwise, the strand will drag a substantial volume of liquid from t. e tube in proportion to the rapidity of strand advancement. The constricted tube portion '5 be necked to provide the minimum practicable diameter permitting lacing of the tube and passage or the strand without appreciable friction. The amount of liquid carried from the tube may in this manner be greatly reduced for any given rate of strand advancement. However, with the strand-discharging end of the tube ill narrowly constricted as at '54, a considerable quantity of liquid will be dragged from the tube at rapid rates of strand advancement. The liquid carried from the tube may be separated from the strand by means such ascentrifugal separation, i. by leading the strand around a godet (not shown).

Such an apparatus as described with respect to Fig. 7 is very useful in applying a hot liquid to a strand to effect a heating thereof. If a succeeding treatment of the strand is to be essentially a liquid treatment, the heat treatment may in many situations be advantageously administered by supplying a heated liquid of the type to be used in the subsequent liquid treatment. A liquid treatment such as contemplated might be conducted by storing a section of the running strand on a thread-advancing reel and spraying the liquid onto the reel. As an example of one way in which the device of Fig. 7 may be used, a liquid treatment such as suggested above might be preceded by a yarn-stretching operation which is, facilitated by heating the yarn. The tube 78 in this situation would be placed so that the yarn passes through it while passing between stretch ing godets.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of th invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 7 n

1. Apparatus for applying liquid to a running strand while it passes along a steeply inclined to vertical path, the apparatus comprising a body having surfaces which define a pair of recesses extending inwardly from the opposite ends of the body, the body having a passageway for connecting the nearer portions of the recesses and an outer liquid-conducting surface extending between and joining with the surfaces defining the recesses, means for feeding a liquid into one of the recesses, said surface defining the other recess being flared as it extends away from the passageway and joining with the outer surface of the body to form an edge at the end of the body, and means for supporting the body with the first-named recess disposed above the pas-' sageway andthe other recess with said edge extending at an inclination between a vertical and horizontal direction.

2. Apparatus for applying liquid to a running strand while it passes along a, steeply inclined to vertical path, the apparatus comprising a body having generally coaxial surfaces which define a pair of recesses extending inwardly from opposite ends of the body, the body having a generally coaxial'passageway for connecting the nearer portions of the recesses and an outer liquid-com ducting surface extending between and joining with the surfaces defining the recesses, means for feeding the liquid into one of the recesses, the surface defining the other recess being tapered outwardly with respect to the axis away from the passageway and joining with the outer surface of the body to form an edge at theend of the body, said edge extending at an inclination with a normal and a parallel to said axis, and means for supporting the body with the recess for receiving liquid from the forwarding means disposed above the other recess, the path of the running strand extending through the passageway, and the edge extending at an inclination between a vertical and horizontal direction.

HENRY J. MCDERMOTT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,871,100 Walton et a1 Aug. 9, 1932 1,897,122 Hartmann et 91. Feb. 14, 1933 2,367,819 Carter Jan. 23, 1945 2,390,823 Bennett Dec. 11, 1945 2,394,066 Kauth Feb. 5, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number 7 Country Date 442,117 France Oct. 24,1912 

